Winner: Bentley Lighthouse Award 2024. Mexican designer Fernando Laposse is the founder of his eponymous design practice based in London and Mexico.

Laposse, who specialises in plant-based materials combines design, craftsmanship and material innovation to support regenerative agriculture and social empowerment.

Collaborating closely with indigenous Mexican communities, particularly the Mixtec farmers of Tonahuixtla, he develops new techniques that generate jobs and revive traditional agricultural practices.

Laposse recently created a marquetry material made from the colourful husks of heirloom corn species and presented an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne that explored the social and ecological impacts of global avocado overconsumption in indigenous Mexican communities.

Judges comments: "Fernando Laposse's work engages traditional, almost primitive making techniques, imaginatively transforming local humble materials into powerful contemporary designs." said the judges.

"His work is focused on reinvigorating waning craft skills and materials, in turn boosting local ecosystems and supporting his local communities. His creations are almost the byproduct of his broader desire to support regenerative agricultural methods and tackle environmental degradation in his region." they continued.

"That his work is not scalable is where the beauty lies, meaning it can be linked to the renewed current focus on degrowth. With our civilisation arguably approaching the end of a paradigm, Laposse's work highlights a different approach to design. He is a huge inspiration to designers working in this way in countries around the world."